Winter visitors to see King Island light

Why would anyone swap the sundrenched beaches of Queensland for the windswept shores of King Island in the dead of winter?

Gabriella Conti has a compelling answer.

As the driving force behind the “Offseason” tourism campaign for Tasmania’s West by North West (WxNW) region, Conti believes winter isn’t something to escape – it’s something to embrace.

“For five years, we’ve been encouraging people to rug up, pull on their beanies and gumboots, and experience Tasmania in its raw, elemental glory,” Conti says.

“Winter here isn’t about hibernation – it’s about campfires, truffles, stargazing, and real community connection.”

Conti is passionate about winter on King Island, where you can “stand at the edge of the world and get blown away – literally – by 80 kilometre winds” before tucking into a cozy fireside whiskey.

“It’s not about escaping the weather,” she adds.

“It’s about diving into it.”

And it’s working.

The campaign has seen a measurable increase in winter tourism to Tasmania. Visitors are increasingly choosing the cooler months to explore the region’s dramatic landscapes, enjoy cultural experiences, and escape the tourist crowds.

“In Sydney, you step out of your apartment and look up to see streetlights. Here, you step off the plane and breathe in clean air under a sky full of stars,” says Conti.

“That’s the magic of Tassie in winter.”

Central to this year’s Offseason offering is a series of immersive art events, and leading the charge is multimedia artist Alex Moss.

His interactive light and sound installation, Seaing Light, will transform King Island’s iconic Currie lighthouse into something few have witnessed before: a towering, glowing musical instrument.

Moss, who founded the creative collective Atmoss, started his journey in audio production and gradually blended sound with visuals, ultimately creating experiences where audiences participate rather than passively observe.

“To me, sound and visuals are equally important,” he says.

“But what I really love is involving people – letting them shape the art.”

Moss has brought large-scale interactive experiences to galleries, festivals, and schools, but he sees something uniquely powerful in bringing this kind of work to remote communities.

“You might see something like this in Melbourne or Sydney,” Moss explains.

“But here, on King Island or in Queenstown, it’s a whole different context. It’s intimate. It’s unexpected.”

For Sea-ing Light, Moss will use a massive projector to illuminate the lighthouse.

Viewers can use a custom designed iPad interface to “play” the lighthouse – triggering musical notes and light animations across 15 structural segments.

The experience is dynamic, melodic, and completely user-driven.

In a second installation, a camera will capture audience movements and transform them in real time into visual representations of the seawaves, seaweed, rocks – through innovative AI techniques.

“It’s about merging the human with the environment, and turning movement into ocean,” says Moss.

“People become part of the story.”

The event is set for July 17 and 18, starting at 5:30 p.m. to coincide with nightfall – essential for the full visual impact.

But Sea-ing Sea is just one part of a packed schedule designed to bring visitors and locals together.

As Conti describes, “On the 17th, we’re opening the Hub at Currie harbour with food, drink, and other sensory exhibitions.

"There’s Fathom, a sound and light piece inspired by local stories, a Weathering exhibition at the King Island Gallery, and the Museum will be open late.

It’s a real celebration of community and culture.”

The festivities continue across Tasmania’s northwest with other light projections in Queenstown, Wynyard, Penguin, and Strahan – each designed by Moss to uniquely reflect the spirit of its setting.

These free events are supported by tourism operators who create themed activations around them.

One highlight near Penguin features a didgeridoo performance deep within local caves, offering a hauntingly beautiful soundscape in harmony with the natural acoustics.

According to Conti, these experiences not only boost tourism but give locals a reason to reconnect with their own backyard.

“People are no longer just ticking off destinations – they’re seeking experiences,” she says.

“And events like these bring people out, make memories, and show that winter here isn’t bleak – it’s beautiful.” For Moss, returning to Tasmania after living away for many years felt like coming home.

“We actually moved back in winter on purpose,” he says.

“We wanted to know if we could handle it. We not only handled it – we loved it.”

And with offerings like Sea-ing Light, it seems more and more people are learning to love Tasmania’s winter too.